Presidential aspirant Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Vice Presidential Vicente Sotto III with senatoriables Retired Police General Guilermo Eleazar, Doctor Miguita Padilla, and Monsour del Rosario during their visit in Cebu. | Pegeen Maisie Sararaña
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Presidential Aspirant, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, and his running mate Vice Presidential candidate, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, will not ask for the endorsement of President Rodrigo Duterte.
They said this during a press briefing inside their campaign headquarters in Barangay Banilad in Cebu City on Friday, December 10, 2021.
Lacson said that not asking for the endorsement of the President was their way of sustaining their “self-dignity.”
He further said that the endorsement was something that could not be asked for or demanded from.
Lacson said that rather groups or local officials would voluntarily endorse a candidate because they had respect for that person and respect would not be asked but gained.
Rather, groups or local officials will voluntarily endorse a candidate as they have respect to that person and respect is not asked but gained.
“Any endorsement is an addition whether coming from the local government officials or the President, that’s all I can say. I guess yes because he [Duterte] is very popular. An endorsement is an endorsement,” Lacson said.
“It also applies to the others. Kaya naman talaga namin ipagmalaki yung service record namin pero parang bonus na yung endorsement namin,” he added.
(It also applies to others. That is why we are proud of our service record but the endorsement is just a bonus.)
However, Lacson said that they were still open should Duterte would endorse them as this would truly advance their chances to win in the coming 2022 elections.
Lacson and Sotto arrived in Barangay Banilad in Cebu City as they spearheaded the blessing and inauguration of their campaign headquarters there. They also met with different sectors and local government officials.
With them during the event were senatoriables — Retired Police General Guillermo Eleazar, Monsour del Rosario and Dr. Minguita Padilla.
Lacson further said that they would let the public decide and check their track record for them to decide how capable they were for these said positions.
For his part, Sotto said that endorsements from political leaders would not guarantee votes.
Regardless if one endorses them, he said they would be after the public’s thrust.
“Endorsements are good, but we need votes,” Sotto said.
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